Razer is a brand that has been around for a few years now. They advertise themselves as “For Gamers, By Gamers” and they’ve pushed out some glorious high-end laptops over the last few years. I can say with certainty that I have lusted after the Razer Blade laptop for some time now.
Well, they have now brought a lot& of this design and expertise to the mobile arena too. I introduce ….the Razer Phone.
The best part is that this? It’s far and away one of the most affordable Razer products of recent years. The price of this phone is just £699.99, which gets you a smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, Dolby ATMOS sound, 64GB of storage, a 5.7″ LCF 1440×2560 pixel screen and 8GB (yes, 8GB) RAM.
The launch also showed off the 8 megapixel front camera, NFC and a fingerprint sensor within the power key.
The full run-down of specs, which include dual 12 megapixel rear cameras plus a 4000mAh battery, are below..
Razer has also employed their technical expertise to the fit and finish of the phone. It means that the handset has the best thermals on any Snapdragon 835 phone to date. It will also be powered by that beast of a battery, which will be charged by the newest Qualcomm QC 4+ standard. This will allow up to 85% of charge in an hour via the USB Type C port.
The last thing that I really want to shout about is the screen. Now, whilst it is not the “edge to edge” screen with the bezel-less design that we’ve seen from the likes of Samsung, this is no bad thing. The handset is designed for people to use it in their hands for long periods of time, either when watching a movie or when playing a game. For these tasks, actually having the larger bezels at the base is a real benefit. I have spent a long time using phones of this style from my years with Xperia’s and I have to say that I did like the industrial style of them as I do with the Razer Phone.
The screen is also one of the first phones (that I am aware of)that has a 120Hz refresh rate. Razer refer to this as an “Ultramotion display”.
The high refresh rate is all well and good when you are pounding the pixelated streets of your favourite first-person shooter, but not so good for using the rest of the time. However, here Razer have got you covered. They have built in the option to manually adjust the refresh rate to your own preference, or just leave the phone to do it by itself.
All in all, I am very excited about this phone and I can’t wait to get hands-on with it. Not for the reasons of me being a gamer (I’m not), but I think that this will be a truly productivity powerhouse too.
The only way to find this out will be in testing which I hope to be able to do very soon.
The Razer Phone: The Ultimate in Mobile Entertainment
Boasting the world’s first 120 Hz UltraMotion™ screen, Dolby Atmos® audio technology and lightning-fast performance, Razer’s first Android smartphone invites users to watch, listen and play
LONDON – Razer today unveiled the Razer Phone, an Android smartphone with groundbreaking audiovisual technologies and processing muscle that takes personal entertainment to the next level.
The first device from Razer’s mobile division, the Razer Phone comes with a phenomenal display, cinematic audio and enough power to last a user all day, all in the palm of his or her hand.
SMOOTHER. BRIGHTER. FASTER.
The Razer Phone is equipped with the world’s first 120 Hz UltraMotion™ display that delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today’s smartphones.
UltraMotion’s adaptive refresh technology synchronizes the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage.
The 5.72-inch display – a Quad HD IGZO LCD – delivers vibrant and sharp images with a wide color gamut.
TRUE-TO-LIFE CINEMATIC AUDIO
The Razer Phone is powered by Dolby Atmos® technology to provide true cinematic audio via front-firing speakers with dual dedicated amplifiers.
A THX-certified USB-C audio adapter with a 24-bit digital audio convertor (DAC) guarantees audiophile-quality sound with one’s favorite headphones.
INSANE PERFORMANCE
The Razer Phone ensures the ultimate viewing and gaming experience with the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile Platform and a massive 8GB of RAM.
Users can fine-tune their experiences with the Razer Game Booster app, and the phone’s best-in-class thermal design reduces throttling to maximize power and performance.
POWER THAT JUST KEEPS GOING
The Razer Phone packs a large 4,000 mAh battery, one of the largest capacities found on smartphones today. This allows gamers to keep playing all day long, while Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 4+ enables rapid charging.
AMAZING CAMERA PERFORMANCE
With dual rear 12 MP cameras, the Razer Phone gives photographers a versatile tool to create amazing images. Zooming from wide angle to telephoto is seamless with a quick pinch on the display, and the dual-tone flash ensures that subjects will always look natural.
A PREMIUM EXPERIENCE FOR POWER USERS
The Razer Phone’s sleek, 8-mm-thin aluminum body is a beauty to behold and to hold. It comes with Android Nougat and will receive the Android Oreo upgrade in spring 2018.
The device comes with Nova Launcher Prime with Google Assistant Integration. A wildly popular launcher, Nova Launcher Prime offers extreme customizability of the Android experience to suit every taste and need.
WATCH. LISTEN. PLAY.
Every feature of the Razer Phone was designed to bring users the ultimate in mobile entertainment:
Watch – Enjoy movies the way they were meant to be seen. Feast your eyes on a big screen with crisp details and the smoothest motion, complete with true-to-life vibrant colors. Add loud, riveting sound to complete the cinematic experience right in your hand.
Listen – Go ahead and turn up the volume—everything sounds amazing. Expertly tuned audio delivers all the highs and lows of your favorites tracks whether you listen through the stereo speakers or your favorite headphones. Don’t suffer in silence, there’s enough battery power to keep your tunes streaming all day long.
Play – From your everyday commute to playing in a tournament, experience buttery smooth gameplay and lightning-fast performance thanks to top-of-the-line components. Dial in your graphics to optimize your experience no matter what game you’re playing. And with a larger battery size, you can indulge in the latest games without worrying about running out of power.
“It’s common knowledge that I’m obsessed with my smartphones, I play a ton of games on them, and they’re my go-to for streaming content,” said Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. “We have wanted to make a phone with gaming-level tech for years, and the Razer Phone delivers in every way we imagined.”
GAMING PARTNERSHIPS
Razer is proud to partner with the world’s top gaming companies, including Tencent® and Square Enix®, to bring the best gaming experiences to mobile and take full advantage of the Razer Phone’s extraordinary features. Mobile games are being optimized by partners for Razer Phone’s UltraMotion display with frame rates of up to 120 frames per second.
“Arena of Valor,” which Tencent is launching soon in North America, is the world’s most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Players battling on the Razer Phone will engage in overclocked action and turbocharged team fights, thanks to the device’s powerful gaming capabilities.
“The future of gaming is rapidly expanding to mobile devices, and both Razer and Tencent are at the forefront of fast-tracking development,” said Vincent Gao, global marketing director at Tencent Games. “Arena of Valor brings gamers a fast-paced, competitive experience, and the Razer phone was built to handle the visuals, sound and quick-reflex mechanics of the game. This partnership sets the standard for the next generation of mobile screen play.”
OTHER GAMING PARTNERSHIPS
- “Final Fantasy® XV Pocket Edition” from Square Enix
- “Gear.Club” from Eden Games
- “Lineage 2: Revolution” from Netmarble Games Corporation
- “Old School RuneScape™” from Jagex Limited
- “RuneScape™” from Jagex Limited
- “Shadowgun Legends™” from Madfinger Games
- “Tekken™” from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
- “Titanfall™: Assault” from NEXON Co., Ltd. and Particle City, Inc.
- “World of Tanks Blitz” from Wargaming Group Limited
RAZER THEME STORE
The Razer Theme Store allows gamers to customize their phone, changing wallpapers, icon packs and colors throughout the phone. It includes custom ringtones by Razer DJs and custom wallpapers inspired by the world’s top gaming titles, such as “Shadowgun Legends™”.
THREE AS EXCLUSIVE EUROPEAN CARRIER
In Europe, Razer has exclusively partnered with Three to be its launch carrier in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden.
Dave Dyson, CEO at Three UK, said: “My ambition is always to innovate in ways that deliver better experiences for our customers and a partnership with Razer is a perfect fit. Razer has produced something that is a step ahead of any other mobile gaming device and I am delighted to be able to make this exclusive experience available to Three’s customers.”
Susan Buttsworth, CEO at Three’s international opportunities development division at CK Hutchison, said: “The launch of Razer Phone with Three marks another step in growing our Group strategic partnership with Razer and our position in the wider mobile gaming space. Not only is the device fine-tuned for gamers but it will also be of appeal to customers looking for a best of breed entertainment device, thanks to its stunning display and great audio quality. We look forward to a deeper co-operation with Razer, and will continue to bring to the Three customer base the most new and exciting products, services and digital experience.”
RAZER PHONE SPECIAL EDITION
1,337 sets of the Razer Phone Special Edition with Razer’s iconic green triple-headed snake logo will be available from Three stores in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, at Razer Store in San Francisco, and online in the USA and Canada via Razerzone.com.
The standard edition of the Razer Phone features a chrome triple-headed snake logo.
PRICING
Recommended Retail Pricing: US$699.99 / €749.99 / £699.99
AVAILABILITY
Three Europe: United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden.
Razerzone.com: North America, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden.
The Razer Phone will also be available on Amazon.com and at selected Microsoft Store locations in the USA.
From November 1, 2017, 9 p.m. GMT, pre-orders will begin at Three outlets and on the Three website. The Razer Phone can also be reserved on Razerzone.com in launch countries. The Razer Phone will go on sale in launch countries from November 17, 2017.